


The Woods

by Hatsumomo_Fay



Category: Original Work
Genre: Blood and Injury, F/M, Falling In Love, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Minor Character Death, Original Character(s), POV First Person
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-10
Updated: 2015-01-09
Packaged: 2018-02-28 08:03:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2724845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hatsumomo_Fay/pseuds/Hatsumomo_Fay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Frightened and exhausted, Kaitaini is running out of steam. She is being hunted by a powerful God, obsessed with catching her and making her his own. She is a beautiful Wind Nymph but her beauty and magic cannot help her now. She must keep running, keep dodging the God's advances but the handsome, human boy that she has just come across slows her feet and distracts her mind.<br/>Blake, is a normal 18 year-old senior with plenty of other issues on his mind, like how to deal with his emotionally clingy mother and work up the courage to talk to his crush. When he stumbles into the woods and meets Kaitaini however, his boring, but safe, life is turned upside down as he is thrown into a hidden realm where mythological creatures and perilous challenges await him. Can he save the beautiful girl who has betwitched his heart or will he give up and return to his old life? Find out by getting lost in The Woods.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bad Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first novel that I'm trying to get published. I'll be posting the first few chapters so please let me know what you think good or bad! Soon, I will make a link available where you can purchase and read the rest if you love it!

I tightly grabbed the dark green straps of my L.L. Bean backpack as I continued on through the dense woods. All was silent, except for the occasional hoot of an old barn owl or the snapping of a twig, as a frightened animal ducked away from my approaching shadow. It was not yet dusk, but the frigid air was quite uncommon for this time of year.

  
I don’t know why I kept going, but a pull guided my feet as my brain wandered around, back to the village where my mother was probably crying over the table with a glass of dark red wine, blaming herself for making my father leave. Back to the cruel jokes that were aimed at me when my back was turned by Justin Lowell and his loyal followers. Back to the disgusted expression Erin Napa gave me when I asked her to be my girlfriend. It seemed that my body knew I had to get away before my mind did. My mind had been too busy sorting through all the rejection and pain that my feet just carried me away, hoping to dispel my many bad memories out into the clean and clear forest surrounding the Leura Village. I shook my head, trying to dislodge the images from inside and hiked up my straps once more.

  
As I meandered deeper and deeper into the woods, I suddenly realized I was lost. I quickly spun around in the direction that I thought I had come from, only to find large, mossy trees obscuring my view. Turning in a frantic circle, I tried to catch a glimpse of the outline of a house or the glint of the disappearing sun off the towering, main square clock, nothing. My breath started to come in short gasps.

  
How can I be this far in already?

  
I stood still for a minute trying to calm down, get my breathing back to normal. I let out a large breath and put my hands on my head, interlacing my fingers.

  
Think Blake, which way is home?

  
Suddenly, I heard numerous twigs snap as a rough wind whipped my red hoodie into my face, stinging my already raw cheeks. I let out a small grunt and heard a much larger one in return. My head jerked around in the direction of the sound and instantly, I wished I hadn’t. Standing not six feet away from me was the largest black bear I had ever seen. Growing up in the village, I had caught glimpses of small bears and on more than one occasion, sat outside on the hill in the backyard and watched the bear cubs roll around in the warm sun. But this wasn’t a baby bear. It was a huge, hungry, male black bear staring at me, eyes drooling. I gawked at the bear in shock as countless defense tricks soared through my mind.

  
I need to get in a tree; I need to get in a tree! Bears climb, stupid; I need to make myself taller, Grow, Grow!

  
I shouted inside my head, but my body was frozen. The bear sniffed the air, pulling back its lips in a smile. It then raised itself up onto its back legs and let out a deep bellow.

  
Move Blake! Move!

  
Yet still my legs remained locked in place. Visions of massive paws connecting with my skull sent my stomach somersaulting. Would just one swipe knock me unconscious? Or would it take several blows? Maybe the bear would leave me alone, or perhaps it would enjoy batting me around too much.

  
Finally, my legs responded and I turned and ran in an unknown direction, my thoughts only centered on escape. Immediately, snarling grunts echoed around me as I propelled myself faster and faster through the blurred forest, seeing nothing but colors and the path laid out before me. Not daring to look back at my pursuer, I kept my eyes downcast so that I would be sure to avoid tripping on a raised root or slipping on the fallen leaves. Behind me, labored growls continued to follow and the ground shook as the heavy bear edged closer and closer. He was catching up. Taking a chance, I veered off of the semi-worn path and into the surrounding trees, hoping that the landscape would be too overgrown for the bear to navigate quickly. The bear’s ragged breaths grew fainter and I chanced a glimpse behind me. It was gone. Breathing a sigh of relief, I slowed my pace back to a slight jog as I peered in-between the trees and shrubs for any sign of the bear.

  
“Thank god,” I muttered as I raised my hands behind my head. Suddenly, a large black shape barreled out from a small group of pine trees to my right and knocked me down to the soft dirt. Roaring in my ear, the bear launched its muscled body into the air and landed with a thud, directly in the spot I had just been laying. As I scrambled to my feet, I came face to face with the determined beast and saw the blood lust painted in its eyes. Its large jaws snapped within inches of my body, its teeth snagging the extra material on the arm of my sweatshirt. I let out a startled yell as the bear shook its great head back and forth as it attempted to tear my arm from its socket. Somehow, I was able to remain on my feet but now there was no way to escape the bear’s jaws. With a determined cry, I yanked my arm free of the glistening yellow teeth and stumbled backward a few feet, the weight of my backpack the only thing steadying me.

  
I’m going to die

  
There was nowhere else for me to go, for the bear had backed me up against a giant boulder and my only chance for escape was to go around the beast. But it had me cornered and it knew it. Swinging my backpack off of my shoulders, I held on tightly to the straps and swung it back and forth in front of the bear as I grunted and yelled for it to get back. Ignoring my warning, the bear raised its sharp clawed paw and let out another loud bellow as its arm swung directly into the right side of my head, sending me sprawling into the multicolored leaves scattered across the forest floor. My head pounded steadily from the fierce blow, along with the shrill yell that burst from my lips as my left ear connected perfectly with a well-placed rock. I pulled my left arm out from underneath my body, pressing my hand to my head. Thick, hot liquid raced down my hand from the large gash that had ripped through my ear. The bear dropped down to all fours and sprinted the few feet that it had knocked me, encouraged by the scent of blood. Just then, the same violent wind that I had felt before, swirled around me and my attacker, kicking up leaves and twigs from the ground. As I watched the bear, I heard a soft voice, as light as a breath in my ear and was overwhelmed by the scent of strawberry and mint.

  
“Run, green-eyed boy. I’ll distract the bear. Run straight and run hard or it will catch up to you,” the delicate voice prompted. I sprang up onto my hands and knee into a runner’s starting position. With a swift glance up, I watched the bear shake its massive head with closed eyes, as if it were being attacked by thousands of wasps. Small, angry grunts emitted from its giant muzzle, sending me off the ground, sprinting straight ahead and around the distracted bear, throwing aside branches and pine needles as I went.

  
After seconds turned into minutes, I stopped, panting as I bent down to try and catch my breath. I turned my head to see if the bear had followed but saw nothing but the dark forest I had just barreled out from. I sighed in relief and let my head drop as my body steadied itself. Then, from my left came the bear, flying from the thick trees as it lunged again at my frail figure.

  
Just before it hit me, the gentle voice echoed through my head once more with a disappointed ring, “Not fast enough, green-eyed boy.” I blinked as the bear’s jaws dripped in front of my eyes and then my mind went black.  
 


	2. Worse Reality

My eyes flew open with a startled gasp as my clenched fists drove into my heaving sides. Eyes alert, I scanned my surroundings for any sign of the large black bear or the source of the mysterious voice. I glanced down and found myself trapped in my navy comforter with my legs completely tangled up in the sheets. A soft chuckle escaped my lips with the embarrassing realization that the whole thing had been a dream. I lifted my hand to my left ear and traced my fingers along the bumpy surface. No unusual cuts or gashes greeted my search, even though blood had poured from it just moments ago. I shook my head as I laughed again and grasped the bed with my right arm. Pushing myself up into a standing position, I fought the comforter for my legs, awkwardly. With one hand steadying myself on the bed as the other fought off the sheets, my door opened with a soft creak and my mother poked her head around the corner. Seeing me in my present predicament, she straightened up with a light smile playing at the corners of her mouth in an attempt to stifle a laugh.

  
“Hi mom,” I grunted, finally freeing myself as I pulled the sheets from off the ground.

  
“Good morning honey, should I ask if you slept well?” she asked in an amused tone.

  
“Ha ha,” I said sarcastically. “No, I didn’t actually.”

“Another nightmare again?” she posed.

  
“Yeah,” I grumbled. “It seemed so real. I don’t understand why they keep getting so vivid.”

  
She tilted her head slightly and placed her hand on her hip, “Maybe your dreams are becoming more intense because you’re worried about graduation. You know, they can be a side effect of stress during the day, unleashing your fears subconsciously.”

  
Lately she had been reading some of Dr. Freud’s research on the unconscious mind and all of her explanations were about three times longer than usual, filled with words I didn’t understand. As long as the Oedipus complex wasn’t mentioned, I was fine letting her think I knew what she was talking about.  
“Yeah, that might be it mom, I don’t know. But I kind of need to get dressed now so um, would you mind closing the door?” I asked, hesitantly. I always had trouble telling my mom I needed her to leave me alone. Ever since dad left, she had become so emotional and different, almost a shadow of her old self. She always needed to be in the same room with me and was constantly volunteering to drive me to school even though it was a short walk.

  
She blushed slightly and bowed her head. “Oh, sure honey, I’ll meet you downstairs,” she offered as she quickly shut the door behind her.

  
I released the breath I was holding and began straightening the messy covers over my mattress and headed to my laptop propped up on books in the corner of my room. Although I didn’t have a desk, the two piles of large, useless books such as Encyclopedias and Dictionaries, did a fine job supporting my glowing laptop. Whoever thought those books would be a fitting 18th birthday present, Aunt Myra, should be shot. As I scooted the rolling chair in between the two piles, the screen purred to life and displayed the standard background of a waterfall. Within seconds, I had my AIM chat open from last night with my best friend, Alex and sent him a wake-up call.

BedHEad303: time 2 get up dude! Time 4 another great day at Leura HS!  
XboXXking77: Leave me alone Blake, I’m not going 2 school 2day  
BedHEad303: O YES u r! What would the girls do without my cute British friend?  
XboXXking77: well they won’t settle for my ugly American friend that’s for sure  
BedHEad303: Ha-ha ill meet u at the well in 15

I pushed the chair back, sending myself rolling a few feet across the wooden floor over to my tiny closet and pulled the thin chord, illuminating the small space. I quickly grabbed a black shirt with the band name, The Clash, thrown across it and a faded pair of jeans I wore every day.

  
Once dressed, I raced down the stairs and round the banister into our tiny kitchen. I could hear my mother getting ready in her room down the hall as I pulled out the box of Cookie Crisp cereal and a large yellow bowl, just realizing how hungry I was. Set with my pretend to be healthy cereal and a large glass of Sunny D, I grabbed a spoon and plunged right into my food, not bothering to sit down. After a few mouthfuls, my mother came in from her bedroom to see me standing at the counter, hunched over my breakfast.

  
“Blake Matthew Leewood! Go to the table and eat your breakfast like a civilized child please,” she exclaimed, shaking her head. I straightened up and placed one last spoonful of delicious cookies into my mouth and took a long swig of orange juice.

  
“No point mom, see,” I said pointing to my bowl and almost empty glass. “I’m already done.” I hurriedly finished my juice and placed my bowl and cup into the dishwasher, located my dark green backpack off the floor in the corner and slung it over one shoulder as I gave her a big smile. “I’ll see you later! Bye mommy,” I threw in for effect. I heard her soft laughter as she mumbled something just as I pushed open the screen door and stepped out into the already humid morning air.

  
The Leura Village was a really small community with all the basics. A small grocery store, fire station conveniently connected to the police station, and of course the high school, where I spent the past four years being handed down bully to bully when my previous torturer graduated. I wasn’t nerdy or weird, I just didn’t see the point of conforming to the highly honored position of jock, or most popular kid in school, when it was known throughout probably every high school, that those are the kids that drink the most, smoke the most weed, and will probably never leave their home town because they are too busy reliving the glory days of their high school careers. That was why Alex and I became such good friends. He moved here two years ago from England so he didn’t grow up surrounded by all the stupid guys and fake girls I’ve known all my life. Although many people were attracted to him because of his cool British accent and laid back rocker style, Alex couldn’t be bothered by all the nonsense that high school revolved around. We met in history sophomore year and we had been best friends ever since.

  
As I walked through one of the four main streets in the village, I couldn’t help but remember my dream. The sexy, soft voice and the delicious taste that accompanied it made me really wish that girl existed somewhere. I wasn’t creative enough to come up with that on my own. A few minutes later, I arrived on the outskirts of the village where a large ancient well dripped water incessantly. It didn’t work because the handle snapped off a few years back during a really bad thunderstorm but it was a cool place to hang out. Alex was casually leaning against the side of the moldy bricks, a risky move, I thought, considering the look of the well but I didn’t say anything.

  
“Hey dude,” I said casually, shifting my bag to the ground at my feet. Alex gave me a small head nod and took a long drag of his cigarette. I had tried smoking a few times but the pictures from health class of the thick black tar in my lungs loomed at the front of my brain after every drag. But Alex had been smoking since freshmen year, so I let him inflate his lungs with the nasty stuff.

  
Whenever I was around Alex, I always compared how different we looked. He had shaggy blonde hair a little past his ears with dark brown eyes and a sharp angled face that gave him a dangerous look, which the cigarette tucked behind his ear only accentuated. He always wore tight jeans with a fitted tee and he was the only kid in our school to own a pair of loafers that he wore when his dark purple converse didn’t match his outfit. Me on the other hand, I was taller with dark black hair cut close. My mom said I got my eyes from her, dark green with tiny flecks of blue. I liked wearing t-shirts with interesting stuff on them, like band names or superheroes. Apparently, according to Justin, Batman, and the Green Lantern, shirts got old back in 5th grade but I didn’t care, I thought they were cool.

  
“So, you ready then?” I asked, Alex. He nodded his head as he took one last drag and flicked the butt into the well, swooping up his messenger bag with the same hand. “So I had this crazy dream last night,” I started, “I was being chased by this huge bear but then this sexy voice saved me.”

  
“Oh yeah, what it sound like?” his eyes were alert with interest. Alex was a sucker for women with deep, sexy voices. I tried to copy the way the voice had spoken but failed in the middle of it because I burst out laughing. Alex rolled his eyes and punched me softly in the arm.

  
“You, Blake Leewood, are so childish,” he chuckled as he continued, “laughing at one of the sexiest sounds on this planet, stupid wanka.” Alex always used funny expressions like that, but when I asked him what a wanka was, he just laughed at me and told me not to worry about it. I punched him weakly back and then felt my eyes glaze over, for at that moment, Erin Napa waltzed by. We were now standing on the steps of the main school building, when her soft golden hair bounced into view. Today, she was wearing a billowy red sundress with white polka dots, her straight blonde hair adorned with a red headband. She stood not ten feet away from me when I realized I was gawking at her with my mouth wide open. I quickly shut it and peeked up at her from under my lashes to see if she had seen. Fortunately, she was fingering her friend’s new hair cut, someone named Deanna something.

  
“Ah, one day my friend; she’s going to be mine,” I sighed, letting my thoughts wander fantastically. Images of her small golden hand intertwined in mine, applause as we walked into prom together, her soft lips brushing mine gently before we had to separate to our classes. Yes, one day, she definitely, would be mine.

  
Alex turned around and gave Erin a quick once over, then turned back to face me. He shook out his shaggy hair and combed through his bangs with his fingers.  
“Why so interested in Erin Napa?” he stressed her name like it was an unappetizing food he was being forced to eat. “She’s just like all the other chicks. Flat, boring, with less personality than my cigarette butt.”

  
I stood up a little taller, “You don’t know that. She’s so interesting and beautiful and smart,” I rambled on, getting a faraway look in my eyes as I focused on the bright sun shining down on her. I could distantly hear laughing in the background as I slowly woke from my brief daze. I saw that it was Alex looking at me with a very amused expression. He pushed his lips together with his right hand as his left hand supported his arm.

  
“Aha, right, and have you actually spoken to the girl?” he asked, already aware of the answer.

  
I tilted my head and scowled, “No, but she did sit next to me last year in chemistry and well, we smiled a lot at each other. We had certain…”

  
“Wait, don’t tell me, CHEMISTRY!” Alex scoffed. “Wow, you’re a right twisted bloke. Never even spoken to the chick yet you’ve got unimaginable chemistry!”  
“Hey!” I said, getting defensive. “Try to be supportive please; this is my dream girl you’re laughing at.”

  
Alex put his hands up and gave a big smile, “Sorry, Blake, you’re right. Um…she’s gorgeous, she totally digs you, and she wants to have sweet, hot sex in the biology lab right after third period,” he laughed, dodging the blow to his face. I was about to engage in a full out fist fight but the first bell rang, and Alex took off running to the math building as I was herded into the main one.

  
Slowly I shook my head and rolled my eyes, time for another great day full of learning. As I swayed back and forth, I realized just how much I hated the mornings. Everyone pushed each other out of their way and into mine, and somehow I always got stuck behind the large line of freshmen girls that moved painstakingly slow. The line was unbreakable and because of it, I stood trapped behind the idiotic girls. For a solid minute all that could be heard from their group was, “Oh my god.” I rolled my eyes to the water stained ceiling, praying for a break away, when I turned my head to the left. By some force of magic, the line had positioned me exactly next to Erin. I thought my feet were going to get tangled up and cause me to fall on my face, I was so nervous.

  
Be cool Blake, be cool

  
I tightened my grip on my bag as I slowly inched a little closer to her. Because of my height of 6’2, I was a few inches taller than her head. As I leaned closer to her, I was overwhelmed by a vanilla cloud that must have been her flavor of shampoo. It was no strawberry mint, but it was pleasant enough. Carefully walking beside her, I almost fell on top of her as a pack of laughing juniors knocked into me. My hand thrashed out and collided with the three books stacked neatly in her hands, sending them tumbling to the reflective floor tiles. She threw up her head in frustration and dropped to the floor in one swift motion. I quickly bent down to help her retrieve her books, ignoring the startled gasps and unfriendly backpacks thrown into my back to signal that I was not helping the flow of traffic.

  
“Here, let me help you with that,” I said, gathering up the two books in front of me, Beginners Algebra and Spanish 1. So maybe she wasn’t as smart as I thought she was.  
“Thanks,” she breathed, exasperated, popping her gum loudly. She lifted her light blue eyes to mine and for the briefest moment I held my breath and waited.

  
Yes this is it. Erin Napa will realize I’m the guy she needs and wants and we will be together forever

  
That thought completely shattered with the next few words out of her perfectly glossed lips, “Oh it’s you Jake.”

  
Did she just wrinkle her nose at me?

  
“You’re welcome Erin. Sorry about making you drop them. Stupid juniors,” I motioned with my hands and gave a slight shrug. We stood there in silence for a few awkward seconds when she seemed to collect herself.

  
“K, well thanks for my books,” she said in a dismissive tone, flipping her layered hair over her shoulder as she made a specific eye movement to her friend.

  
“Wait!” I shouted at her. She faced me once again and glanced down at the floor, then at my empty hands for the book that she must have left behind. Why else would I talk to her? I plunged my sweating fingers into my pockets and rocked back uneasily on my heels. “I…ah, was just wondering…well if maybe on or a…” I so badly wanted to ask her to the movies or to dinner or something at least coherent, but my words kept tripping over one another. Her light brown eyebrows arched slightly as she popped her gum loudly once more. My cheeks burned with embarrassment and my pockets seemed to drip. “I was….ha-ha,” I tried again and still my tongue refused to form one word. I just laughed nervously, fingering the back of my sweating neck. I opened my mouth once more to speak and then just turned and darted down the hallway. I didn’t pause to look back or see what expression she wore, just kept walking, every part of my skin a sure dark red. Finally, I reached my class and spun quickly into my seat, my backpack skidding harshly across the dirty tile. I hung my head in my hands trying to steady my breathing and my thoughts.

  
What is wrong with you! She’s just a girl! An insanely hot girl, but still a girl! Get a grip man!

  
“Blake? You okay?” a soft voice whispered to my right, accompanied by a slight pressure on my upper thigh. Immediately I dropped my hands and flinched back from the unexpected contact. Leaning just inches away from me was Janet Krubolski. She had dark brown eyes that looked black and always wore her hair in a cute, side ponytail. Today, she had on even more makeup than usual, silver glitter over her eye lids along with the normal heavy black eyeliner. The truth was that Janet was a really nice girl, one who wasn’t afraid to be herself. She was just a little weird. Last year she had a short, but intense infatuation with me and was constantly asking me out. Thankfully this year, she had been okay, just still pretty hands-on.

  
“Oh, yeah, hey Janet, nah I’m fine. Just, I ah, had a coffee this morning so I’m all wound up,” I said with a forced smile, hoping she’d drop it. I wasn’t in the mood to talk.

  
“Okay, Blake,” she said, no doubt or suspicion in her dark eyes. She slid to face the front in her seat and put her headphones back in and closed her eyes. I couldn’t hear the words, just what sounded like demonic shouting and static. A few seconds later, the teacher walked in and began class, while my mind once again drifted off to Erin.

  
Next time I’ll get it right. Next time I’ll be cool

  
The rest of the day dragged on, offering no reprieve to the constant barrage of facts and numbers that assailed my memory. The bright October sun streamed through every window, reminding me of the previous summer. God, how I wanted to be outside right now, either wandering in the woods or swimming in the small lake I’d found while exploring one day. It had been a great summer. But now, I had eight months of fine education and top quality cafeteria food to enjoy. At last the final bell rang, pulling me from my daydreams. I met Alex at the base of the steps, his tiny lighter already sparking to life in anticipation for his afternoon hit. We greeted each other with curt head nods and began walking, him humming an unfamiliar tune to himself as I continued to swim amongst my own thoughts.

  
“How was school today honey?” my mom’s cheerful voice asked.

  
“It was fine. You know, the usual stuff,” I answered back absentmindedly as I pushed the peas around my plate. I really hated peas.

  
“You know, I saw, Mrs. Napa, at the bank today with Erin,” she raised her voice just slightly at the end of her sentence in an attempt to emphasis Erin’s name. Leave it to parents; if they didn’t get information out of you with their first school question, they dove right into your personal life. “She’s quite pretty. I haven’t seen her since before the summer. She’s really grown into quite a beautiful girl these past few months.” She nudged at me more with a large smile on her face, trying to sound innocent.

  
“Yeah, she is pretty,” I said, quickly shoveling mashed potatoes into my mouth so I wouldn’t have to say more. I was embarrassed just talking about Erin to Alex, let alone spill how gorgeously hot I thought she was to my mother.

  
“You should ask her out on a date honey. She seems like a sweet girl,” she had her fork raised halfway to her mouth, the same emerald green eyes I had staring me down. I scoffed as I thought of Erin’s expression today while I was bumbling around. Yeah, she sure seemed like a sweetie. But I’m sure I would have worn the same expression if some idiot came up to me and couldn’t talk right. I just nodded and continued to scoop more food into my mouth, thankful for the large pile of potatoes still stacked dangerously high in front of me.

  
“Blake, honey, why don’t you? You haven’t had a girlfriend since Julie, and honey that was two years ago,” she prodded again.

  
I could feel myself beginning to get mad. I didn’t want to talk about my love life or lack thereof, especially with my mom. I swallowed roughly and stayed silent, not looking up from my plate.

  
“Blake?” she whispered, excitedly.

  
“Yes I know. I heard you mom!” I shouted, dropping my fork with a metallic clatter against my plate. I pushed back in my chair and stood, my fingers balled into tight fists. “I know I should ask her out and I know I’ve been single since Julie moved away, but has it ever occurred to you that I don’t want a girlfriend!” I couldn’t reign myself in. My temper was simmering over the top and I just couldn’t get control. I knew she was just trying to help but right now I just wanted, needed to scream. “Christ, why don’t you get a boyfriend! You haven’t had one since dad walked out on you!” I spun away quickly, knowing my words were wrong to say, that they would hurt her. She was devastated when dad left her for another woman, younger and blonde.

  
Monica, I’ve found someone that makes me feel alive. I can’t ever be without her

  
My father’s last words to her pierced my heart just remembering. I felt horrible as I imagined what I had just done to my mom. I quickly looked up at her, guilt splashed openly in my eyes. She wasn’t looking at me or anything else before her. Her glassy eyes were staring blankly ahead at the peach walls, her mouth open in a small O. Her fork had bounced a few inches away from her plate, scattering the food it carried onto the table. I could see her bottom lip slightly tremble as two long tears dove down her pale cheeks.

  
“I just don’t want you to be alone,” her words came out in a broken whisper. The pull to go to her and wrap my arms around her was so strong that I had to hold onto the door frame to keep myself from running over. But what could I say? I could no longer stand there and look at my mother’s crumpled body. I turned and sprinted up the stairs two at a time as tears of my own raced down my face.

  
That night I didn’t sleep. No matter how much I willed myself to fall away from the world into unconsciousness, my mind would duck out from under my hold and display heart wrenching images. My mother’s heartbroken eyes, my father’s silhouette as he walked across our small lawn for the last time towards the mocking, mustard yellow cab, the feeling of icy wind rushing across my open palm when Julie’s hand left mine. All the horrible memories that I struggled so hard to repress were firing wildly away. I grabbed my stomach and curled into a tight ball, my teeth grinding together in an attempt to stop the hot tears bubbling up. It was all too much, the numerous reminders of being alone and unwanted felt like an actual weight pressing down on top of my chest. The only true friend I had was Alex. Was that my own fault? Should I have joined in with all my drunken classmates at the parties? Smoke weed in the bathrooms during lunch, just to have friends, to be accepted. No. I wouldn’t. What about a girlfriend? Did I want someone to share my stories with again? To hold her hand as we walked around the village? Yes. I wanted that. So badly in fact that I would betray who I was to get just a taste of how that would feel. I tossed myself onto my stomach and buried my head in my pillow, knowing that sleep would continue to evade me.

“Morning mate, geez, you look bloody awful,” Alex joked, lowering his cigarette from his pursed lips. I rubbed my eyes with one hand and raised my other arm waist high and stretched my middle finger. “Ha-ha, what’d you do last night? Stay up with that sexy dream voice, huh?” he laughed, nudging my limp arm. We began walking through the just rising town towards the school, other students could be seen farther ahead of us.

  
“Nah, I just over slept this morning. My mom didn’t wake me up,” I said with a yawn, the same uneasy feeling from last night still gripped my gut tightly. When I had woken up this morning my mom was nowhere to be found. I didn’t know if she was just avoiding me or if she had actually left, either last night or early this morning. I bit the inside of my cheek harshly until I tasted blood. It was my fault. I shouldn’t have reacted like that. Now I didn’t know where she was, if she was she okay. “We kind of got in a fight last night and I think she’s mad at me,” I told Alex, squinting as the bright sun glared off of the high clock tower in the center of the village.

  
“Eh, don’t worry, me and my mum tussle all the time. Just give her time and she’ll forget about it. You can’t be mad forever, right?” he joked and began lighting up another cigarette.

  
“You know those are going to kill you one day,” I teased, glad to have Alex to erase the darker memories from the previous night. He just shrugged and took a long drag, exhaling a big puff of gray smoke with a smile.

  
“I bet I’ll live longer than you, you health conscious nut. Did you know that the oldest woman lived to be 122 years old? And guess what she did? Smoked every god damn day of her life! So just know that at your funeral I’ll put a pack of these babies on your coffin wishing you had followed my advice,” he laughed again, flicking ashes onto the grass.  
“Yeah, whatever man,” I smiled, picturing Alex as a 120 year old man puffing away on his cancer sticks as I rolled my eyes below him in the mahogany pinewood. Talk about irony. I looked up and was surprised to find that we were already at school; the stairs were lined sporadically with girls talking in small groups as skate boarders took turns grinding down the railings. Of those girls talking, I caught a quick glimpse of Erin. Her light blonde hair was pulled back in a blue ribbon that matched her blue blouse. The sun glinted off the silver necklace at the base of her throat, a heart locket it looked like. Oh how I wanted my little picture tucked away inside.

  
Alex took in my expression and shook his long bangs, combing his fingers through them with one last drag, “So, is today the big day, playa? Going to finally ask the princess to be your girl?” I didn’t respond at first, I was giving myself a pep talk.

  
You can do this. She’s just a girl. Be cool. You can do this. She wants you

  
I threw in the last bit to balloon up my ego. I nodded, my eyes still locked on Erin. She was laughing at something her friend had said. Her pale pink lips pulled back in an amused expression while her eyes lit up.

  
Hell yes. I can do this

  
“Yeah, today is the day. Just you wait. By the end of today, Erin Napa, will be my girlfriend,” I stated, exuding confidence.

  
“Wow, easy there now, tiger; you don’t want to become the new stalker of the month they show on Cops,” he laughed, patting me on the back. “You got this, mate. No fear,” he said strongly, giving me the thumbs up before turning around toward the math building. He was right. No fear. I squared my shoulders and made a beeline for Erin just as the first bell rang. All around me, other students groaned and slung their bags over their shoulders, a few hitting me in various places, but I kept walking straight and fast. Erin’s friends were ahead of her just a few feet when I finally reached her. Her white sandal had taken one step when I slid my hand out between a huge blue backpack and some under classman’s large boobs.

  
Hmmm, I’ll have to apologize to her later

  
I ignored the girl’s surprised gasp and grabbed Erin’s shoulder lightly, not wanting to scare her.

  
“What the hell?” I heard loudly. The boy with the large bag finally moved out of the way, exposing me to Erin, so I was no longer a random hand holding onto her.  
“Hey there Erin,” I said, hoping my smile was dazzling enough to make her smile in return.

  
“Oh, hi Jake,” she replied, a bored look glazing over her eyes. Nope, guess not.

  
“Hey, I didn’t get a chance to ask you yesterday,” I took a deep breath and jumped in, unable to stop now. “Would you like to go out with me one night? To the movies and out to dinner?” My heart thumped painfully loud in my chest. Could she hear it? A look of confusion crossed her angelic features, quickly followed by one of annoyance. She bent her head slightly to look at her shoulder and I realized that I was still holding onto her. Embarrassed, I quickly dropped my hand and shoved it into my pocket. She bit her lip as her blue eyes darted around, not really focusing on anything in particular. I started to say something to break the awkwardness but her words came out faster than mine could.

  
“Jake, I’m flattered, it’s just that I think we should just be friends,” Erin finished with a firm head nod. “Okay?” She spun away from me and hurried up the stairs to catch up to her friends who were no doubt listening. Before I knew what I was doing, I was up the stairs after her.

  
“Why? I mean why don’t you want to? I think we’d have a lot of fun,” I had no idea where my bravery was coming from, but it felt good, really good, to not just stand there and accept her rejection.

  
“Honestly, you’re just not my type and I’m not really interested in getting to know you with graduation just around the corner. I need to keep my options open. You understand,” she finished, a hard coloring of pity coating her words. With heads bent close together, squeals of soft laughter echoed off the brick building as she turned and walked away with her friends.


	3. Running

I remained motionless as Erin’s words bounced around in my head, the brave feelings from a moment ago completely erased. I didn’t understand why she didn’t like me. All last year she had smiled at me and laughed at my stupid chemistry jokes, all for what, a good grade in the class? And now she didn’t even know my name! I was fuming and falling apart at the same time. It felt as if there was nothing holding my body together, that I would just fall apart right there in the middle of the stairway. My heart was racing away and my brain couldn’t focus on anything but her face, the words, “not my type,” forming on her shiny lips. I felt hollow inside, empty. A dull ache began to burn in my lungs as they gasped for air, while I continued to fold in on myself. Finally, I snapped back to reality with the help of the warning bell and slowly shuffled off to first period. I crossed into the front lobby and to the right, down the now cleared hallway and immediately caught my breath. How could this day, get this bad, this early in the morning? About halfway down were Justin Lowell and a few of his football teammates holding, by the looks of his youth and overly large backpack, a freshman.

They had him lifted off the ground and pressed into the lockers, laughing loudly in his face as the kid tried to remain expressionless. They didn’t like that he wasn’t reacting to them and roughly smacked him against the lockers, accomplishing their goal as the young boy yelled out. All the anger that had accumulated inside of me from the fight with my mother last night, the memories that kept me up, and now Erin’s nonchalant rejection were too much. I needed to hit something, hard.

Before I knew what I was doing, I was off, sprinting down the hall. Before any of the guys could react to my presence, I brought my fist back and punched, smiling Justin Lowell, directly in the nose. Justin cried out and dropped the boy, who fell to his knees. Swiftly picking up his bag, he gave me a quick glance of thanks and sped off down the hallway. I smiled back for only a second when I was ripped back by the neck of my shirt and chucked to the hard floor. Justin’s two huge friends came on either side of me and yanked me back up to my knees, perfectly level with Justin’s glaring face.

“You think you funny, Leewood!” he shouted, gingerly touching his nose. I gave a wide smile at what I had done and stayed perfectly still in the big boys’ arms, “You asshole! Look at my nose! You sure are stupid Leewood, because you know what’s going to happen now, right? You die! That’s right! We beat you senseless and leave you outside where the bears can pick you clean!” he threatened, leaning in as close as he could to my ear.

His hot breaths rolled off his wet tongue, making me shiver. Only now did I really think about who I had just punched in the face. There was a reason I was afraid of Justin. He was shorter than me by a few inches but he was jacked, the fastest kid on the football team and also the meanest. His dad used to beat on him, so it was no surprise that he turned out to be the school bully. But there was something missing from his eyes, the part that made him human. His eyes were an ice blue, almost transparent, so it looked like they were nothing but white when he got up close to you. That animal characteristic was why Justin Lowell didn’t get messed with. But today, I didn’t care. Maybe a fight with Justin was exactly what I needed to get rid of all the awful feelings. “Whatever you’re going to do Justin, just do it already,” I said, hoping he’d be disappointed by my lack of fear.

Justin looked up at his two friends and winked at them, giving his navy blue shirt a shoulder dusting, “Well, you see here, Leewood; I’m feeling a little generous today.” He gave a dark chuckle and placed his meaty hands on both sides of my face, pressing my cheeks together so I portrayed a large fish. He tilted my head so that I could see the double doors at the end of the hallway. “I’ll make you a deal, Leewood,” his breath clung to my eyelashes, making my eyes water. He smelled of beef jerky and mayonnaise. I instinctively tried to turn away from the stench but he grabbed my head and whipped it back into the same position. “Listen, Leewood,” he growled. “I don’t usually do this, so pay attention. I will let you go, but only if you put up a good chase before. See, what we going to do is, let you run through those doors right there,” he said, pointing to strengthen his point. “And then we’re going to chase you.” Above me I could hear the two boys laugh deeply, while their large stomachs rubbed against my back. “If you gets away, then you gets away for today, but if you don’t gets away…” he didn’t have to finish explaining. The sly smile and wild eyes said enough. “So, you want to play, Superhero?” he laughed mockingly.

The two boys released their hold on me and let me fall the short distance to the floor as my hands whipped out to catch myself. “Yeah,” I answered, pushing myself up from the floor and standing tall. Once I reached my full height, I looked down at Justin and said, “I do want to play,” in the toughest voice I could. The three boys jumped around me laughing.

“Alright, Leewood, when I say, go, you betta run like hell because we’ll be right behind you. We’ll let you get out the doors and then we’re coming,” he barked, with a mad look in his eyes. They all stood back and gave me space to pull myself together, laughing the whole while. As I took a few deep breaths, I was tried to picture the back of the school. Track to the upper right, baseball field to the left, and a small path wedged in between the huge rock stained with graffiti and a thin wiry fence enclosing someone’s backyard. If I could just make it to the woods, I could lose them in there. I tried to calculate how far away the path was when I suddenly heard Go! from far away.

Instantly, my brain snapped back into my body and I was off, dashing through the hall, smacking into the door and pushing down on the metal bar. It stuck at first and my heart gave an audible thud. I jiggled the bar a few more times and it gave way with a loud screech. I didn’t look behind me to see if Justin and the idiots were running at me yet; I just took off into the thick air as hard as I could. The grass was still slick from the dew of the morning and I was glad that I had on my gym sneakers, much better traction. I was up and over the small hill just as I heard the old door smash against the brick wall and three anxious voices drift up towards me. I didn’t stop, just kept pumping my fists and pushing my legs to go faster, to go longer. My breath was heaving in and out of my body, like I was on the last lap of the mile with nothing but the straight-away left. I let out a ragged breath and gritted my teeth as my legs burned with strain. Running uphill was much harder than running flat. I was breathing heavily through my teeth as tiny drops of sweat pooled under my hairline, at the back of my neck, and under my nose.

You’re almost there, keep going

I let out a loud yell as I reached the top of the second hill, just feet away from the giant rock and the scrawny path. I could hear three sets of labored breathing behind me, along with fierce curses. I propelled myself the final few feet and wedged my body in-between the rock. Scraping my elbow on the uneven rough surface, I felt the sting and blood before I could see it. A soft grunt escaped my lips as I slipped on the dry leaves, announcing my entrance into the woods. The beat of wings and the rustle of leaves surrounded me as all the nearby creatures fled. “I wish I could disappear that easily too,” I whispered, quietly. I looked around the woods for a thick tree or the familiar path to keep running, but all I saw were leaves and thin trees spread out before me. “What am I going to do?” my voice strained as I balled my hands into fists and pressed them to my temples. I only had moments to think before Justin would catch up to me. I squeezed my eyes and fists tightly when I suddenly caught a breeze of the strawberry and mint I thought I had lost when I awoke yesterday morning. It drifted around me and overwhelmed my senses, making me dizzy.

Don’t worry, green-eyed boy. I’ll make you safe

That voice. That beautiful, seductive whisper was now in my head, but while I was awake. My eyes flew open as I spun around trying to find the speaker.

Shhhh, stay still

The voice warned in my head. I immediately froze with my hands pressed down tightly to my sides as my eyes scanned the empty woods around me. Loud voices echoed throughout the trees and I knew that Justin was at the rock, just a few more seconds and then he’d be on me. I shut my eyes as I waited for the impact of his body, but all I felt was a slight wind ruffling my hair and ripple through my shirt. The savory flavor still clung to the air in front of me as I inhaled as much of it as I could. When my mind was able to focus on something else besides the smell, I realized that I no longer heard the boys behind me. I opened my eyes and whirled around, the decorated rock and thin saplings that surrounded me a moment ago, were gone. Framing me now, were thick trunks the color of burnt wood, towering above me. Birds sang throughout the treetops and bushy gray squirrels circled around the trunks. “What?” I started, glancing around to try and gauge just how far I was now in the woods and how I had arrived there. “This is impossible,” I breathed, looking up into the bright rays of sun peeking through the spaces in the thick leaves. My eyes followed the rays down and rested on a large, flat, gray rock at the base of one of the biggest trees in the area. The rock’s smooth surface and the moss-covered tree trunk looked so inviting. I thought I could just sit there and figure out my next move.

With my mind made up, I navigated through the fallen leaves noisily. I raised my head back up from my feet with a puzzled expression and my eyes alighted on the most beautiful girl I had ever seen, sitting lazily on the rock, her bare back resting against the tree. I stopped dead in my tracks as I beheld the lovely girl in front of me. Her eyes were closed and her dark chocolate hair was thrown back, supported by the tree. The sunlight seemed to finger each strand of loose curl as it shone from every angle around her. She wore a dark golden dress, just slightly darker than her smooth, satin skin. The silky fabric exposed her slender shoulders, which sparkled surprisingly in the shade. Her red lips were in a small smile, as if pleased by a happy dream and stretched across a perfectly molded face with soft-angled cheek bones, highlighted with dainty, pink spots of color. As my eyes traveled down her petite, glowing body, I saw that she had short, but supple legs that were playfully crossed one over the other. Her golden dress was about mid-thigh length and had its own sort of movement, not fluttering in the breeze but swirling around the girl herself, as if she were the wind. I took an unsure step forward and the girl’s eyes lazily lifted open, as if she were waking from a deep sleep. Her eyes were dark lavender and sparkled without help from the sun.

“Hello, green-eyed boy,” she called, the sound musical. “You know, you didn’t wake me,” she smiled, making my breath catch. She looked like a supermodel, slash angel. “I just wanted you to be able to look at me without being embarrassed.” She didn’t say it arrogantly, but unsure, almost hesitating. When I didn’t respond she spoke again, her voice resembling soft wind chimes. “Don’t worry, I like looking at you too,” she whispered and peeked up from beneath her thick, dark brown lashes. “You’re the first amedrin I’ve seen up close,” she smiled, with curiosity lighting her eyes. “You are beautiful, green-eyed boy.”

I still had not yet recovered from my mental state of shock, seeing her, smelling her, and hearing her had completely disabled my senses. I was merely swirling around trying to figure out if I was dreaming. Finally, I was able to break the surface of my own thoughts. “Who are you?” I asked, like an idiot. Of all the things I could have started with, that genius expression jumped out of my mouth as I stumbled uncoordinatedly forward. A strange flicker of doubt cut across her gentle features and then impossibly, she was gone. I jumped back, startled. Did she fall? I quickly shuffled over through the fallen leaves to the large rock she had just occupied and looked all around it and behind, no girl. “What the?” I glanced back to where I had just stood and saw the same sparkling lavender eyes from a moment ago. Her body was half- hidden behind a thin birch tree, her curls now spilling wildly into her face, covering one eye and edging dangerously close to the other. Her smooth glowing skin and the sun from above, bathed the girl in a golden glow that made me catch my breath once more. “How did you get over there so fast?” I said slowly, careful not to move too quickly. I didn’t want her to disappear again. Her pale red lips parted to speak when suddenly, she was gone again.

Oh come on!

I knotted my hands behind my head as the wind kicked up around me, not gentle like before, but rather rough, clinging to my skin, sliding down my arms, and holding me. I must have hit my head when Justin threw me against the wall A soft giggle erupted behind me, echoing like a bubbling stream. Not wanting to believe it, I closed my eyes and turned around so I was once again facing the large moss-covered rock. If nothing was there, then I might have a concussion, if there was a girl there, then I was definitely crazy. Slowly, I peeled back my eyelids. Did I want the girl to be there? One at a time my eyes slid open as the bright morning sun momentarily blinded me. I held my hand over my eyes and squinted through the bright rays. There, lounging away peacefully, sat the strange girl, in the same position she was in before, as if she had never moved. I let out a confused sigh and felt my eyebrows pull together as I grimaced. What the hell was this?

“I guess I should explain,” the musical voice called, again. Gracefully, she began to lean forward and I couldn’t stop myself from admiring her. Her legs unfolded and tucked under her body, pushing herself up so that she was now standing on the rock. Her body was flawless, delicate yet powerful, packed into a body, Tyra Banks, would be jealous of. Her left hand ran up and down the pale green moss covering the tree, as her other hand stretched out towards me, her thin finger beckoning me closer. Before I knew I had taken a step, the wind swirled around me and I was standing at the edge of the rock, now level with her round chin. Strawberry-mint engulfed me again and I tried very hard to push its effects away and focus on the source. “My name is Kaitaini,” she smiled, crouching down. “I’ve been watching you for a few days now,” she whispered, fluttering her thick lashes.

My body couldn’t help itself; I leaned in closer to her and said, “I…me name, Blake.” She gave a short, high-pitched chuckle that seemed to echo throughout the woods.

“You really shouldn’t have told me your name that quickly, Blake. For you see,” she continued, tilting her head slightly and unleashing her full bright gaze on me. “You are now open to the forest and all the creatures in it because you are no longer a stranger. My sisters will be here in a few seconds and…” she gave me a dark look that my teenage mind registered as lust, sending my hormones through the tops of the overhead trees. “I want you all for myself.” Bright red color shot up into my cheeks and I almost tripped on the large raised roots in front of me. I tried to form a complete sentence, saying just how much I would like that, when her head snapped up and away from me, her large, sparkling eyes intent on something far away. I craned my neck and squinted into the rising sun, seeing nothing but trees.

Her dark head whipped back to face me, now showing unmasked fear. I reached out to touch her scared face, to try and calm her, but my fingers seemed to just miss her. A small smile touched at the corner of her lips as my fingers slid through the air, again.

Why can’t I touch you?

“Because, it’s not time yet,” she said in a hushed tone. Had I spoken out loud? I couldn’t have, but then how did she know what I was thinking? “You must go now, Blake. For he is coming and I must get away,” she said, anxiously, fear coating her eyes and voice. “I’ll take you home, but please stay there and don’t come back to the woods,” she almost pleaded. I blinked for a confused second as I tried to register what was going on. What had interrupted her that caused her to be afraid? She said he, did that mean Justin had finally found me? I looked again through the woods in the direction she had and still saw no figure approaching us. “We must leave now, right now. Don’t move, Blake,” she breathed in my ear. Unlike Justin’s hot breath, hers was very cool and sent a tiny shiver through my entire body. I was silently hoping she didn’t notice my reaction when suddenly she was gone, I no longer felt her next to me. I flicked my head back and forth to try and spot her but at that exact moment, the wind kicked up and blew fiercely, obstructing my view of the surrounding landscape with a swirl of red, yellow, and fiery orange leaves. I closed my eyes and shielded my face with my bare arms. Then, just as sudden as it began, the wind died altogether. I lifted my arms apart and peeked through the space in-between, choking in surprise.

I was standing in front of my front door, my backpack sitting neatly on the stone steps.

Alright, this is insane. I’ve got to have a concussion

I lowered my arms to my sides and scowled. I was so confused; I had no idea what to make of my encounter with the beautiful girl. I glanced down at my phone to see how long I’d been in the woods. 9:32 my cell read. I thought I was only in there for a few minutes. Not two hours! This was unbelievable, and how did I keep getting around so fast! I let out an exasperated sigh and put my hands on my hips, throwing back my head in frustration. Then, softer than I would of thought possible, I felt a gentle hand run itself through my wind tossed hair, while another ran along the inside of my arm, making it tingle. I slowly lifted one eye open and glanced around as much as I could. Was the girl back? Kaitaini was her name? Seeing no one, I realized it was just the wind blowing around me, making it feel like I was being touched. I frowned with aggravation and disappointment; I wanted to see Kaitaini again. To make sure that she was real and I wasn’t going crazy. I bent down to grab my backpack when I felt two strong hands grip the side of my face. My mind jumped immediately, portraying Justin standing behind me with a crazed look in his eyes. But it didn’t feel like someone was holding me from the back, but as if they were standing in front of me. I reared my head back, trying to break free of the invisible hands when a soft whoosh voice ran through my head, sending me ramrod straight as if I had been shocked.

Remember Blake; don’t go back to the woods. Stay away from me; I’m sorry, I got too involved. Please forget you met me

I felt a soft pressure melt onto my lips and then the hands lifted and I knew I was alone. I could hear the wind whistling back roughly through the trees as I slowly licked my lips. They tasted of strawberry and mint.


End file.
